The Pantani di Accumoli are located exactly on the border between the Monti Sibillini National Park and the Gran Sasso and Monti della Laga National Park, within an area designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and part of the Natura 2000 Network, the European Union’s primary ecological network for the protection of biodiversity. Antonio Perinelli, the Commissioner for the liquidation of civic uses for Lazio, Umbria, and Tuscany, ruled just a few days ago that the lands in the Pantani area, within the municipality of Accumoli, are collectively owned by the local community and belong to the civic domain. This ruling saves a precious area and rewards the perseverance of “Salviamo l’Orso,” supported by the WWF, Mountain Wilderness, LIPU, CAI, Federtrek, and Comitato 3.36.
The decision revokes the permits issued by the Municipality of Accumoli and the Lazio Region for the construction of a multi-story mountain lodge and the associated access road. According to the ruling, the areas are subject to civic use restrictions and could not be designated for construction without the prior approval to change their designated use, as required by law.
The proceedings before the Court for Civic Uses of Lazio and Tuscany were initiated in 2019 following a complaint filed by a citizen, who had reported the intention of the Municipality of Accumoli and the Lazio Region to carry out construction work in an area of outstanding natural beauty. Subsequently, during the course of the proceedings, our association, Salviamo l’Orso, joined the case as a plaintiff.
The court-appointed technical expert’s report was decisive, as it reconstructed the legal history of the land. The analysis revealed that the Pantani area has retained its status as civic public land for centuries and that the residents of Accumoli have historically exercised collective rights to grazing and firewood collection. The Commissioner fully concurred with the consultant’s conclusions, noting that no evidence had been presented capable of rebutting the presumption of public ownership recognized by case law for this type of property.
The Accumoli Marshes are one of the most valuable mountain wetlands in the Central Apennines. These are small glacial lakes located on the border between the Sibillini Mountains and the Laga Mountains, in a high-altitude valley surrounded by pastures and panoramic views. The area, which is particularly picturesque between spring and fall, is part of the Natura 2000 network due to the presence of three habitats of Community interest and numerous protected species.
Among these, the yellow-bellied toad (Bombina pachypus) stands out—a small amphibian endemic to the Apennines and classified as a threatened species. Its survival is closely linked to shallow, temporary pools of water, where it lays its eggs and completes its larval development. The Pantani are also home to the Italian crested newt (Triturus carnifex), another species protected at the European level, as well as the ivy moth (Euplagia quadripunctaria), a lepidopteran that is also of Community interest. It should also be noted that in recent years, sightings of the Marsican brown bear have become more frequent in the area; its presence in the Rieti region is becoming increasingly established, stretching from Petrella Salto to Amatrice and all the way to Accumoli.
The area is also home to one of the most spectacular landscapes in the Central Apennines. From the Pantani, the view opens up toward the Cime del Redentore and Monte Vettore, while the site is traversed by the Cammino Naturale dei Parchi, a hiking trail that connects some of the main protected areas in central Italy. The presence of wetlands, high-altitude pastures, and rare species makes this area particularly sensitive from a conservation standpoint.
The ruling therefore declares that the land constitutes the collective property of the residents of Accumoli, orders its restitution to the Municipality, entrusts the Lazio Region with its enforcement, and orders the entry of the ruling in the Public Real Estate Registers.
The Commissioner also noted that the Municipality of Accumoli had approved the final design for the mountain refuge and the zoning amendment in 2021 without the necessary authorization required for land subject to civic use restrictions. For this reason, the municipality was ordered to reimburse the association Salviamo l’Orso for its legal fees, set at 10,860 euros plus statutory charges, as well as to cover the costs of the technical consultation. The costs incurred by the Lazio Region, however, were offset.
Attorney Valeria Passeri, a member of the Perugia Bar Association and legal counsel for the Salviamo l’Orso association—to whom we extend our sincere thanks for her dedication to the case—commented on the decision, emphasizing that the ruling “restores legality and protects a fundamental collective asset,” noting that the Commissioner had fully accepted the association’s requests and confirmed the civic and public nature of the land in question.
Cover photo: Giuseppe Albrizio